24th November 2020

Justice Denied: Sexual Violence & Intersectional Discrimination – Barriers to Accessing Justice for Dalit Women and Girls in Haryana, India

Dalits – officially designated as Scheduled Castes by India’s Constitution – are at the bottom of caste and class hierarchies in India. The intersectionality of gender, class, and caste in the case of gender-based violence against Dalit women and girls often remains invisibilized. In addition, the hegemonic power dynamics that are the root cause of discrimination and atrocities inflicted make it extremely challenging for Dalit women and girls to access the legal system and receive justice.

 

Key takeaways and recommendations

Recognizing the historical forms of discrimination and oppression faced by the Dalit community, Equality Now in collaboration with Swabhiman Society – an organization which organizes Dalit women in Haryana to end caste-based oppression at the grassroots level, and provides, legal aid and support services to survivors of sexual violence  – launched this report on 25 November 2020.

This report analyses 40 cases of sexual violence in Haryana and highlights their journey through the criminal justice system. It describes the specific barriers faced by Dalit survivors of sexual violence and presents urgent recommendations to the Indian and Haryana State Governments for taking action to end caste-based sexual violence.

The Indian constitution guarantees the right to equality and equal protection of the law and forbids discrimination on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.

To achieve this, urgent collective action is required to ensure a just and equitable world for Dalit women and girls.

Explore more resources

1

2

3

Imperative legal, policy, and institutional reforms for enhanced support and protection of child marriage victims and survivors

Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA), with support from Equality Now, conducted a focused study on child marriage in Zimbabwe, using Epworth as a case study. The research examined the country’s laws, policies, action plans, and other mechanisms meant to protect and support victims and survivors of child marriage.

Female genital mutilation amongst Sudanese migrants in Greater Cairo: Perceptions and trends

This report investigates the experience and attitudes of Sudanese migrants in Egypt about female genital mutilation (FGM).

Exploring legal aid mechanisms for survivors of sexual violence: Lessons from South Asia

The South Asian Movement for Accessing Justice (SAMAJ) presents this regional report on legal aid systems in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

Newsletter Sign-up

Make a donation

I want to donate